AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY

After Weight Loss Surgery - Skin Removal - Plano, TX*

Overview

Plano area patients who lose a significant amount of weight may be candidates for after weight loss surgery. These individuals are often hindered to complete their weight loss transformation because of loose and hanging skin. Dr. Yaker is a cosmetic surgeon offering a number of skin removal and tightening techniques, including the lower body lift 360, which removes loose skin while tightening the underlying tissue and muscle throughout the abdomen, hips, buttocks and thighs. This surgery is typically reserved for individuals who lose 100 pounds or more and is especially common among bariatric weight loss patients. To achieve an effective outcome, Dr. Yaker recommends patients be near their goal weight and their weight loss stabilized prior to surgery.

Reviews

"40, 4 Kids, Breast Reduction 3/10/16 ~ Adios B(r)EASTS of Burden! - Dr. Yaker came recommended to me by a friend I trust explicitly that had him perform lipo on her. She has met numerous other women that have had work by him also, and they all gave him a glowing review, too! I follow my gut instinct, and I had a really positive feeling about Dr. Yaker & his staff. I highly recommend him! - - Breasts have been an issue for me pretty much my entire life. At the age of 8, my breasts began to form and I became very self conscience about it because it wasn't happening to any of my other friends. I remember asking my mom to buy me a bra, and she ignored me and refused to. I became really ashamed as I could not hide my growing breasts. Fast forward to Jr. High school and the dreaded locker room. I was 11 years old and I STILL did NOT have a bra. I was so embarrassed. When I was 12, my mother finally took me bra shopping. This same year, my mother who was very small chested (and small framed) decided to get breast implants. I'll never forget her talking with our neighbors about getting it done and the husband said "Why, because your daughter is bigger chested than you are?" And she told me THAT comment was what sealed the deal for her to get one.By 13 I was wearing a 34C and getting a TON of negative attention from boys. I hated it. I wore clothes that would purposely hide by breasts. The next year when I was in high school, I remember being a friend's house in the pool and I was wearing a bikini. The guys were calling me "Droopy", because by comparison to my friend's who were smaller and perkier, I was droopy. THAT made me even MORE self conscious. By the age of 18/19 I was wearing a D cup. I never exposed my breasts and always tried to hide them, even in intimate situations - and even now at age 40 - I do the same to this day!Over the years, my weight has fluctuated - between having an underactive thyroid &amp; Hashimotos, to 4 children, they look beat down and have literally had the life sucked out of them. But aside from the emotional issues I have had in regards to my breasts throughout the course of my life, and aside from the cosmetic aspect of their appearance, never finding bras that fit quite right and support them - they have been causing a lot of physical issues for me. I have to wear 2 bras at a time - an underwire one, then a sports bra over the top, so that I can have some lift and support. Clothes NEVER fit right - I have to get larger sizes to accommodate my breasts, and I am limited to what types of clothing I can wear. No cute off the shoulder, strapless, back cut outs, etc. The under boob sweat is ridiculous, and I have dermatological issues now - fungal growth that smells (totally disgusting &amp; foul) and irritation, chafing and painful skin erosion. I have been to a neurologist because I was getting headaches with a vengeance again and I was having issues with my left arm going numb and tingling. Turns out, I have a pinched nerve, likely from the bras I wear to support the weight of these beasts. Creating tension in my neck/shoulder &amp; upper back. I also have very dense, fibrocystic breasts. I often have breast pain. For my yearly mammo, I am then always referred out to get an ultrasound. This past year, my right breast (which has been getting smaller, actually) found 2 cysts in it. Both my mother &amp; her mother have had breast cancer, so also by getting a reduction, it will help to reduce the risk.I'll never forget breast feeding my children I was so embarrassed because my boobs hung so low, I had to support my boob to hold it up AND the baby. Needless to say, I am at a point in my life that they are wreaking so much havoc on me in every way, I need to be free of them! I want to become more active and just be FREE of these damn things!Despite having letters from physicians, and test results, BCBS denied coverage for this procedure stating they felt it was only cosmetic. I appealed, and then requested an IRO which I have not heard back on yet, but even if I go broke getting this done, it will be worth it to me. Of all the stories I've read and others I've spoken with, I've yet to have someone say they regretted getting this done. It still hasn't really sunk in for me yet that this is happening, because I can't imagine having the freedom this will bring me. Just in looking at clothes on-line I realized my perspective in how I look for clothes is changing. I've always been so limited and would skip past stuff because I knew I wouldn't be able to wear it.I have read so many amazing testimonies on this site, and I can't wait to share the rest of my journey with you!Steph"

- T. / RealSelf / Feb 24, 2016

"Bags Under Eyes and at Least Two Inches Atop my Lids !!!! Plus a Forehead Life !!! - EXCELLENT !!!!! If I could give the whole office staff 10's I would........will never look anywhere else and I will spread his name to anyone who asks.......thank you, thank you, thank you !!!!!"

- R. / RealSelf / Jun 23, 2017

"I would highly recommend Dr Yaker and his staff for any procedure. I have had 2 separate surgeries over the past 10 years with him and it's always the same consistent, high quality and very personable experience. They take the time and make you feel that you are their only patient and when you have surgery you want the extra special care that Dr Yaker and his staff provide. The quality of work is amazing and I would not want to place my care in anyone's hands except Dr Yaker. Simply the best"

- Anonymous / Healthgrades / May 08, 2017

"I love Dr. Yaker and his staff! I first met with him over 6 years ago when I was going in for a mommy makeover. During the process, I went to get my mammogram and discovered Breast Cancer so that..."

- M.L. / Yahoo / May 08, 2017

"Dr. Yaker is highly skilled in what he does - I had a positive experience with Dr. Yaker and his staff.I received a breast lift with implants from him in August 2016, and despite the fact that I experienced a few hiccups along the way regarding a split junction on my right breast incision, I feel that Dr Yaker and his staff were able to help me though the entire healing process. To begin with, I was very lose and deflated from breast... - - I had a positive experience with Dr. Yaker and his staff.I received a breast lift with implants from him in August 2016, and despite the fact that I experienced a few hiccups along the way regarding a split junction on my right breast incision, I feel that Dr Yaker and his staff were able to help me though the entire healing process. To begin with, I was very lose and deflated from breast feeding, on top of which my areoles were incredibly large and uneven. I knew that my situation would not be easy to repair and I wanted to make certain I found a doctor that understood how to work with the excess amount of skin that I had. I researched over a dozen plastic surgeons and kept an eye out for one that has spent a great deal of time performing anchor lifts with extra skin. After six different doctor consultations I was eager to go with Yaker and now that everything is said and done, I'm very happy with my decision.I felt comfortable in believing what Dr. Yaker told me was possible, simply after viewing his portfolio, online and in his office. It was reassuring for me to see that he had worked on so many other women with breasts just like mine, some were even in worse off conditions to begin with, and yet their after photos were simply amazing!I would say that he listened to what my hopes were regarding size and appearance and he was able to meet my expectations. I absolutely did not want the end up with extra perky balloons, instead I was looking for a more natural tear drop shape, and I'm so pleased with the outcome.About 2-3 weeks into my recovery I experienced a complication that left me devastated. The junction/incision under my right breast tore open due to excessive use of my right arm, coupled with the fact that this particular area does not receive as much oxygen. It was a rather compromising and terrifying situation for me, but it was also a known risk involved with anchor lifts. Under the guidance of Dr. Yaker, his nurse took care of me every step of the way and for that I am so grateful. I felt hopeless at times, because I had never dealt with such a dramatic wound care predicament. I had to put my faith in him and his nurse and trust that this sizable wound would heal from the inside out. Fortunately it did and the wound shrunk in size from a half dollar coin, to a scar roughly the size of a nickel.Per Dr. Yaker's promise, he will be revising the scar for me in about a month, once I am farther along in my healing process. As of now, you can still see the raised scar under my right breast and there is also another blemish area just under my right areola.In my consolation, Yaker had warned me that due to the size of my exceptionally large areoles, there is going to be a chance that after surgery, I will notice a small upside down triangle shape that will form from my areola tissue. He said not to worry and that if this were to happen, he will be able to go back and correct it later on once I am healed. I researched this part of the procedure because it was all rather new and confusing to me and I wanted a second opinion on the matter. Apparently, when it comes to resizing larger areoles, if Yaker had cut away too much of the tissue I would have been at risk of having my entire nipple turn black and fall off. From what multiple other plastic surgeons have told me, it is much safer to air on the side of caution when trimming down the nipple size. I’m currently left with an upside down triangle/sliver just under my right nipple, but that doesn't matter to me because it is temporary and he will be removing it under local anesthesia during the same time that he corrects the raised scar. I knew going into this operation that my breasts would be more difficult for a doctor to correct than compared to a woman with tight skin and even/appropriate sized nipples. I'm so thankful that I chose a plastic surgeon who has solid experience in working with a more challenging starting point. He and his nursing staff were calm and patient every step of the way and I trust that in a month, my revisions will successfully complete the overall look that I was hoping to achieve. As it is, they already look just as I had envisioned."

4.9

Conditions Treated

Weight loss patients will consider after weight loss surgery to correct or enhance one or more of the following conditions:

Deflated and sagging breasts with nipples that point downward

Loose and hanging skin on the abdomen

Excess skin and pockets of fat on the hips

Excess and deflated skin on and under the buttocks

Loose and hanging skin around the knees and inner thighs

Hanging skin on the underside of the arms (“bat wings”)

Loose and hanging skin on the neck (“turkey neck”)

Combination Surgeries

The goal of after weight loss surgery is to reduce the amount of loose skin that collects and hangs on the body and to lift the body part, so it appears tighter. Multiple areas of the body may need to be addressed, depending on the needs of each patient. Most surgeons will group body parts together and stage them multiple surgeries. Doing so helps reduce the risk of complications, such as blood loss and infection. Examples of this grouping include:

Upper body (Liposuction, breast lift, tummy tuck, arm lift)

Lower body (Liposuction, butt lift, thigh lift, lower body lift)

During/After Surgery

After weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia in an accredited surgical facility. Patients are usually required to spend the night in the hospital so they can be monitored. The recovery following this surgery can be a slow process. While the post-surgical results can be life-changing for many weight loss patients, scarring is an unfortunate part of this process. Every attempt is made during surgery to minimize scarring as much as possible. Patients should adhere to a healthy lifestyle so that the results achieved through surgery are not compromised.

Expected Cost

The cost for a combination surgery to remove skin following a massive weight loss will vary. Certain factors such as the number of procedures performed (abdominoplasty, liposuction, thigh lift, etc.), combined with the number of surgical settings, hospital stay, anesthesia, etc., will play a role in determining the final cost. On average, patients can expect to pay at least $10,000-$15,000 or higher.

Plan Your Procedure

After Weight Loss FAQ's

Common Body Parts?

Common body parts that may need skin reduction surgery include the abdomen, buttocks, upper thighs, breasts, arms and neck. The breasts and abdomen are among two of the most popular areas addressed. A large majority of individuals will address the breasts (with a breast lift), and the tummy (with a tummy tuck) in a single surgery. As you lose weight, you will notice which areas are most concerning, and you can begin discussing cosmetic surgery with your plastic surgeon.

Best Timing?

Most plastic surgeons require patients to be at or near their goal weight before moving forward with this surgery. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, removing the loose skin is all it takes to accelerate the loss of the final pounds—especially if the loose skin is getting in the way of exercise and mobility.

Will Insurance Cover the Cost?

In most cases, no. Insurance companies consider this surgery to be cosmetic, and they usually do not cover any of the surgical expenses. However, each surgical case is different and may have a special circumstance. Our billing coordinator works to provide accurate estimates and thoroughly checks the benefits of each provider.